A1 English GrammarBasic Questions
Learn to form yes/no questions and use question words (who, what, where, when, why, how). Master the word order for asking questions in English.
1Yes/No Questions
To form yes/no questions, put the auxiliary verb (do/does, is/are, can, etc.) before the subject. The answer is simply 'Yes' or 'No' plus a short answer. With 'be', just invert subject and verb.
Yes/No Question Formation
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| You are tired. | Are you tired? |
| She likes coffee. | Does she like coffee? |
| They can swim. | Can they swim? |
| He is working. | Is he working? |
Examples
Do you speak English?
Do you speak English?
do + subject + base verb
Is she your sister?
Is she your sister?
be verb inverted
Can you help me?
Can you help me?
modal + subject + verb
Does he work here?
Does he work here?
does for he/she/it
2Question Words (Wh- Questions)
Question words ask for specific information. They go at the beginning of the question: What (things), Who (people), Where (places), When (time), Why (reasons), How (manner/way). The structure is: Question word + auxiliary + subject + verb.
Question Words
| Word | Asks About | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What | things/actions | What is your name? |
| Who | people | Who is that? |
| Where | places | Where do you live? |
| When | time | When is the meeting? |
| Why | reasons | Why are you late? |
| How | manner/way | How are you? |
Examples
What do you do?
What do you do?
asking about job
Where is the bathroom?
Where is the bathroom?
asking about location
When does the train leave?
When does the train leave?
asking about time
Why are you studying English?
Why are you studying English?
asking for reason
3How + Adjective/Adverb
'How' combines with adjectives and adverbs to ask about specific qualities: How old (age), How much (uncountable quantity/price), How many (countable quantity), How often (frequency), How long (duration/length), How far (distance).
How + Word Combinations
| Combination | Asks About | Example |
|---|---|---|
| How old | age | How old are you? |
| How much | price/quantity | How much does it cost? |
| How many | countable number | How many people are there? |
| How often | frequency | How often do you exercise? |
| How long | duration | How long is the movie? |
| How far | distance | How far is the airport? |
Examples
How old is your daughter?
How old is your daughter?
asking about age
How much is this shirt?
How much is this shirt?
asking about price
How many languages do you speak?
How many languages do you speak?
countable noun
How often do you go to the gym?
How often do you go to the gym?
asking about frequency
4Subject Questions
When 'who' or 'what' IS the subject, don't use do/does. The word order stays like a statement. Compare: 'Who called you?' (who is subject) vs 'Who did you call?' (you is subject).
Examples
Who lives here?
Who lives here?
who = subject, no 'does'
What happened?
What happened?
what = subject
Who wants coffee?
Who wants coffee?
who = subject
What made that noise?
What made that noise?
what = subject